Advice on a bench grinder please?

[British Red]

Guys,

I would like to get hold of a bench grinder & sander for sharpening (mainly garden tools - everything from a spade edge to a mower blade). I would also like to be able to run a slack belt to tidy up axe blades and other convex grinds.

This piece of equipment is just to help me maintain tools around the homestead so is unlikely to get consistent use as it would with a knife maker etc. However I would like to buy something solid and suitable

Budget is always an issue but I don't want to buy junk

Can I ask for advice from the forum please? Links to specific models that people have experience of would be a great help

Red

 

[Silverhill]

I have one of these Red;
http://www.powertektools.co.uk/store/detail.asp?Productmodel=BD46A&productid=66810

B & Q used to sell them, they're sturdy pieces of kit, but the motor could do with being a tad more powerful. I've used it for all of the tasks you've mentioned above, and it performed very well indeed.

 

[SiWhite]

Dont buy the combo stone-sander one from Machine Mart - too noisy and a bad sander.

I have a cheap Machine Mart double stone which is fine - I would then advise spending a bit more on the sander as IMHO it is a more specialised tool.

 

[Hugo]

I'm after the same thing Red so will be watching this thread.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Most cheapo's you can stall but you shouldn't be pushing that hard as your not letting the wheel do the work and risk busting it (and getting your metal too hot).
One with a belt sander is handy for flat sharpening but some cheapo's nneed to have a hand start as the motor's a little small.
Here's a belt and disc sander 300 watt
This is a wheel and belt 500 watt
Just found this wetstone sharpener as well complete with 3 jigs but no belt (Fancy one myself)

 

[British Red]

They look exactly the sort of thing Kev. Of course I lik the belt sander more on the top one (easier to run slack), but the stone arrangement on the bottom one!

That's the sort of price range I was after - say about £100.

I suspect a stone will be better / cheaper for the crude sharpening of spade edges etc. Unless people tell me otherwise?

 

[ged]

They look exactly the sort of thing Kev. Of course I lik the belt sander more on the top one (easier to run slack), but the stone arrangement on the bottom one!

That's the sort of price range I was after - say about £100.

I suspect a stone will be better / cheaper for the crude sharpening of spade edges etc. Unless people tell me otherwise?

I'm sure you'll get something well up to your requirements for less than a hundred quid. You'll be able to buy an angle grinder with the change, that's what I'd use on a spade.

 

[calgarychef]

The most important thing on a bench grinder is that it's properly balanced. With the stones on you should be able to start it then shut it offf and it should keep spinning for a very long time. That indicates that it's got quality bearings and that everything is properly balanced. A balanced machine will allow you to do very fine work without the stones hammering the heck out of the project.

 

[FGYT]

For a bench grinder ( ie 2 stones )

Ive got a 900w axminster for just over £100 it runs the bigger 8" stones its a big old beast

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-aw8g2-heavy-duty-grinder-prod460430/


my other grinder is now a polisher and is a 6" Hilka 1/2HP ok but a little under powered but at £10 from the local car boot sale a bargin


I would recommend you get at least a 500w motor

personally i dont like the combo stone and small belt ones really not worth the price even the cheap ones

100 x 914 belt / 150mm disc comb is a better job but pay extra and get good abrasives for it (see John on BB)



Check the car boots first

 

[British Red]

I don't know enough to buy in car boots Dunc Can you reccomend something in the

100 x 914 belt / 150mm disc

type?

Thanks mate

 

[Samon]

I started off with a simple two stone bench grinder from Focus diy, it cost me £20 about 6 years ago and it's still keeping my machetes and other crude tools in working order. I took off the side plate on the fine stone so I can sharpen on its flat side. if it were just for keeping spades and rough stuff ready and not for knife reprifling then get a cheap one with good reviews online.

I do have a bosch angle grinder than I run flap discs on for sharpening stuff too, it gives a slight convex and shiny edge on my better machetes. I reprofiled my cold steel tomohawk with it and it turned out pretty mean! I also completely removed the forging marks with it!

I try to make what I've got work and the cheapo bench grinder has suprised me so much! I will get a belted sander at some point though, the other two bits of kit do a grand job at all the rough/medium jobs but I would like something for fine reprofiling work.

[h=1][/h]

 

[FGYT]

I don't know enough to buy in car boots Dunc Can you reccomend something in the type?

Thanks mate

not used the exact machine but Axminster brand stuff is normally pretty good

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-awebds46-mkii-belt-and-disc-sander-prod725061/


Clarke is a fine basic unit

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cs4-6d-belt-and-disc-sander


also get as belt cleaner and use it often especially if doing wood

this is axminster's but can grind them cheaper

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-abrasive-belt-and-disc-cleaners-prod21144/

 

[British Red]

Thanks mate - bit steep for me for just the sander - I'll have a think and do some saving up!

 

[ged]

I took off the side plate on the fine stone so I can sharpen on its flat side. ...

If you did that at a place of work you would most likely be fired. It would certainly be a disciplinary offence.

Grinding wheels are amongst the most underestimated dangers in the workshop. Be aware of the risks. If you use the side of the stone you will weaken it. Eventually it will not be able to withstand the centrifugal force and it will explode.

A couple of times I've been close to exploding grinding wheels, and it's not an experience to be envied. Of course when I was around these exploding wheels nobody had defeated the safe design of the wheel housing by removing bits of it so that they could weaken the wheel enough to render it unsafe by using it incorrectly.

Take a look at the Abrasive Wheels Regulations.

Read the instructions that (should) be supplied with every grinding wheel sold in the UK.

Random links with useful information:

http://www.nwtc.co.uk/index.cfm/page/article/id/58/listid/15/title/Abrasive Wheels
http://www.proshieldsafetysigns.co....afety_posters_Abrasive_wheel_regulations.html
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg17.htm
http://www.gosport.gov.uk/sections/...safety/hs-a-to-z-of-subjects/abrasive-wheels/
http://www.uwl.ac.uk/files/The_University/1policy_docs/Abrasive_Wheels_Procedure.pdf

 

[Samon]

oh.. oops. probably best I stuck that back on then. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[santaman2000]

...Grinding wheels are amongst the most underestimated dangers in the workshop. Be aware of the risks. If you use the side of the stone you will weaken it. Eventually it will not be able to withstand the centrifugal force and it will explode...

Likewise don't grind aluminum or other non-ferrous metals on common stones!! (for the same reason) The sander's are fine with these metals but NOT the stones.

 

[santaman2000]

And a stone dressing tool is a useful item (particularly if someone inadvertantly grinds non ferous metals and you need to dress off the portion of stone that has been "loaded") Even during normal safe use you'll need to reprofile the stone occassionally. Here is just one example of such a tool: www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200322139_200322139